Maria Ester Bucaro is Counterpart International’s Chief of Party in Guatemala. She has managed its Food for Progress project, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Guatemala, for more than six years. She has extensive experience in agricultural and food security programs and is well-respected by in-country and United States government partners as a seasoned leader.  Ms. Bucaro is one of the first women to lead an agricultural program in the country, working directly with high ranking public officials and local and international universities to implement the rural extension system in the country. She serves on the international advisory board of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, funded by USAID and led by the University of California, Davis.